By The TimesLedger
In an effort to accommodate population shifts throughout the state, New York congressional and legislative district lines were redrawn in 2002 based on the latest census population numbers over the past 10 years.
As part of this process known as redistricting, Queens has lost one congressional delegate and the districts of the remaining seven representatives have shifted.
The borough’s constituency in Albany remains at seven state senate senators for the November 2002 elections. What did change was the shape of the districts.
A new state senate district was formed in Jackson Heights, while two seats the Forest Hills and Flushing area were combined into one seat. Two new state assembly districts were created in downtown Flushing and the Jackson area, which greatly altered the boundaries in some districts.
How redistricting has affected the eight districts in which there are primaries:
6th Congressional District
U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks’ (D-St. Albans) district is the only one entirely in Queens. The district picked up a small slice of Howard Beach and Richmond Hill. It lost a small section of Woodhaven and a slice of Glen Oaks and Floral Park.
7th Congressional District
U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) was shifted further into the Bronx and lost a major portion of Queens. He forfeited a portion of College Point, a slice of Flushing, a part of Queensboro Hill, a sliver of Kew Gardens, a chunk of Corona, part of Middle Village and a section of Woodside.
13th Senate District
The new state senate district stretches from the Brooklyn Queens Expressway to the Grand Central Parkway and from Horace Harding Expressway to the Grand Central Parkway above Astoria Boulevard. It encompasses Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona and a slice of Woodside.
16th Senate District
State Sen. Toby Stavisky’s (D-Flushing) and state Sen. Dan Hevesi’s (D-Forest Hills) districts were combined into one district, which extends from Whitestone through Flushing, Fresh Meadows, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Bayside and Astoria.
22nd Assembly District
The new district covers the area centered around downtown Flushing and includes the communities of Queensboro Hill, Linden Hill and Murray Hill.
31st Assembly District
State Assemblywoman Michele Titus’ (D-Far Rockaway) District 31 had small sections in South Jamaica and Springfield Gardens removed in exchange for a different section in South Jamaica and a section of Brookville.
32nd Assembly District
State Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-South Ozone Park) gained a large swath of Springfield Gardens and Laurelton. But a substantial section of South Jamaica and Ozone Park was taken from the district.
39th Assembly District
The second new assembly district in Queens follows Roosevelt Avenue from 69th Street in Woodside to 112th Street in Jackson Heights and covers parts of East Elmhurst and Corona.
